Tax-Free Retirement? No Way!

This article was published in the Escape Artist Weekly Newsletter on September 07, 2018. If you would like to subscribe to the newsletter, please click here.

Hello readers,

It’s my favorite time of the week again, when we get to share some of the interesting news tidbits from around the world!

This week’s round-up features one country that is changing how the world sees solar energy by producing the most solar energy on the planet! Also, if taxes are a big concern for your retirement, one country may be putting your worries at ease. Keep reading to find out where many expats in Africa are choosing to move. All of this and more can be found below!

Just like every Friday, the newest Escape Artist content can be found at the end of this newsletter.

Before we get into this week’s round-up I want to remind you that December is just around the corner. If you haven’t yet, don’t forget to register for our very first conference. We officially have a venue! The 2018 Escape Artist Conference will be located at the MCM Elegante Hotel in Dallas. Details can be found below.

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Solar Pandas?

China is changing the way the world sees solar energy with the world’s largest solar farms. One of the notable solar farms is featured in Datong County where a 248-acre area is used to house a solar farm. When you fly over the farm, however, you will be pleasantly surprised to see two giant, happy pandas waving at you. They are made up of thousands of solar panels.

The site can be shocking to see and knowing it’s made of thousands of panels is admirable, but that’s just the beginning. This farm is relatively small compared to many the solar farms in China. At 130 gigawatts, China has the most solar energy in the world. If the solar farms were all generating energy at one time, it would have the power to supply energy to all of the UK.

Another well-known solar farm in China is the Longyangxia Dam facility with 850 megawatts and four million panels. The largest farm in the world is in the Tengger Desert in China, with a capacity of over 1,500 megawatts!

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The Winds of Change are Upon Us

On the topic of clean energy, the world’s largest wind farm has opened in the Irish Sea. Walney Extension, featured off of the Cumbrian coast, has the capacity for 659 megawatts and takes up more than 20,000 football fields.

If you do the math, that is enough energy to power 590,000 homes!

This windfarm beats the record of the London Array, the previous largest in the world. Walney Extension uses fewer turbines, nearly half, but is much more powerful.

The title won’t be held for long, however, as wind farms are expanding around the British coastline. A 714-megawatt farm is soon to open in 2020, and two farms that will exceed 1,000 megawatts will soon follow.

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Mama Mia! Tax-Free Retirement!

Are you getting excited about retirement but not so jazzed about the taxes? Italy may have the solution for you. Not only would you be able to retire in this beautiful European country, but the government is discussing a proposal allowing people to retire there with no taxes for 10 years!

The coalition that brought forth the discussion, called The League, is hoping to repopulate areas such as Sicily, Calabria, and Sardinia.

The proposal allows residents of the qualified towns to live tax-free if they stay in the area for at least six months and one day out of the year. The qualified towns have a population of less than 4,000 and lost more than 20 percent of their population in 10 years.

If you want to live tax-free in Italy for your retirement, keep an eye on this proposal!

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Time for a Change?

Expats in South Africa are not as happy as they were last year, pushing Uganda and Morocco to rank higher for foreigners working in the continent.

In the 2018 Expat Insider survey by InterNations, South Africa fell 13 places for family life in just one year. According to the survey, many families are unhappy with the amount and cost of childcare and education in the area. Satisfaction went from 63% to 43%.

Expats have also noted that they no longer feel as safe as they did last year, and only 22% felt the country was politically stable.

If you are looking to spend time in Africa, the survey found that 9 out of 10 expats saw Uganda as a welcoming and friendly place for foreigners. Morocco ranked highly with 71% of survey-takers feeling safe, the highest ranking country in Africa for this factor.

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We’re Getting Excited! Are You?

Don’t miss out on the conference!

We have received so much great feedback and help in planning the very first Escape Artist conference! Your contribution to our survey gives us a great idea of what the event will look like, what we will discuss, and how many of you would like to attend. We are excited to announce that the dates and location of the conference have been decided!

Mark Your Calendars for December 1st and 2nd…and book your trip to Dallas, Texas, to meet all of your favorite Escape Artists!

Want to join us? Contact me here. If you would like to reserve your spot, please send me a message and I will personally send you the official invite when it is finalized over the coming weeks.

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Thank you for reading this week’s round-up! If you’re interested in learning what it’s like to become an expat, don’t hesitate to ask some questions. At Escape Artist, we aim to ensure that your travels abroad run as smoothly as they can.

For more information on what’s going on in the international scene, check out some of this week’s newest articles!

P.S.Do you have questions about how to live abroad and what the experience is like? Are you looking for international investment opportunities? Want to meet like-minded people who are in the same boat as you? Come hang out with other EA readers and the Escape Artist staff! We will be hosting an event this year and can’t wait to meet you!

Click here to find out more informationand to stay in the loop on locations and dates! It’s important that this event be exactly what YOU want – no alternate agenda or product pitches! This is about answering YOUR questions! In order for the event to be a success, take a second to fill out this survey. By sending us your thoughts, you can tailor the event to your specific overseas needs. We will also be supplying a 10% discount during registration to everyone that filled out the survey to make the event possible!

There’s an offshore ICO scam going on and it’s focused on Cayman Islands Corporations. If you’re planning an ICO, here’s what you need to know to avoid the offshore ICO scam and Cayman Islands Corporations.

First, note that I use the term “scam” very carefully and intentionally here. I truly believe there is an offshore ICO scam going on and it’s being perpetrated by lawyers and incorporation agents, many of them in the Cayman Islands.

As it seems, more and more millennials are loving the idea of moving abroad, mainly because of alluring job prospects, better quality of life, and a hefty paycheck.

Undoubtedly, moving abroad can be a rewarding experience. Here in this article, we will have a closer look at the top 9 reasons why millennials love to move abroad.

Reduced Cost of Living

Certain U.S. cities in California, Hawaii, and New York are extremely expensive, which degrades the quality of living. On the other hand, there are some amazing countries like Switzerland, the United Kingdom, Canada, Spain, and others which offer better life prospects and are additionally, far cheaper than…

With its 300 days of sunny weather, friendly people, and safe community, Malta should easily be considered in any travel junkie’s next vacation destinations. But are you tired of the usual restaurant hopping, food and wine tasting, parties, pilgrimages, and historical visits? Are you looking forward to a one-of-a-kind and unforgettable holiday? If you’re thinking about night dives, knife-edge cliffs, and encounters with barracudas and octopuses, you might like to try one or more of the following adventures:

Diving

Being right at the heart of the Mediterranean Sea, teeming with marine life, Malta houses one of the world’s protected marine sanctuaries and conservation sites. The most popular diving destination is the Santa Maria caves. But you can also get in touch with…

Part of leaving California and moving on to a simpler life is cutting some cords. We just canceled our longtime agreement with DirecTV. As you see above, we had a LOT of remote controls…no we did not use all of them. They just kept sending us replacements for the units we did not wear out fast enough and they stacked up. The smaller one was for an outdoor, wireless unit on our deck. All of it will be shipped back to them this week.

Spoiled? Yep, believe it. We had a total of six receiver boxes and used them all. My mother used to comment,